Victoria's estimated resident population at June 2013 was 5.74 million people, an increase of 106,800 since June 2012. This was the largest population increase of any state or territory. Victoria's growth rate of 1.9% was above the national rate (1.8%), but less than Western Australia's (3.3%) and the Northern Territory's (2.1%).

At June 2013, there were an estimated 4.35 million people resident in Greater Melbourne, an increase of 95,500 in the year from 2012. This growth was larger than any other Greater Capital City in Australia. Greater Melbourne's rate of growth for this period was 2.2%.

Greater Melbourne accounted for 76% of Victoria's population at June 2013. Population growth in Greater Melbourne equated to 89% of Victoria's total growth in 2012-13.

Growth in Inner Melbourne

Growth in inner Melbourne has been comparatively strong in recent years. Melbourne - Inner was the fastest-growing SA4 in the state in the 12 months to 2013, growing by 3.9% (21,200 people) to reach 568,400. Four of the five fastest-growing Victorian SA2s were in inner-city areas. These were Melbourne, which increased by 23%, Abbotsford (20%), and Docklands and Southbank (both 15%). The SA2 of Melbourne also had the second largest growth in the state, increasing by 5,400 people to reach 29,300.

Growth in the outer suburbs

Growth in the outer suburbs of Greater Melbourne also contributed significantly to Victoria's population growth between 2012 and 2013. This reflects greenfield development which continued to occur predominantly in the west and north.

Melbourne - West was the SA4 with the largest growth, up by 22,000 people. Melbourne - West contained several of the fastest-growing outer suburban SA2s in Victoria, including Truganina, which increased by 11%, Melton South (9.5%), Wyndham Vale (9.3%), Tarneit (8.9%) and Point Cook (8.7%).

The SA4 of Melbourne - South East grew by 16,400 people (2.3%). This was the most populous SA4 in Victoria at June 2013, at 716,400 people. The fastest-growing SA2s in Melbourne - South East were Cranbourne East (up by 17%), Cranbourne South (12%) and Cranbourne West (10%). Pakenham - South had the largest growth, increasing by 1,700 people.

The population in the Melbourne - North East SA4 grew by 12,200 people (2.6%). Melbourne - North East contains South Morang, which had the largest growth of all SA2s in Victoria, with an increase of 5,700 people (13%). South Morang was also the most populous SA2 in Victoria at June 2013, with 51,000 people.

SA2s WITH LARGEST AND FASTEST POPULATION GROWTH(a), Victoria

ERP at 30 June

Population Change

2013p

2012r-2013p

SA2

no.

no.

%

LARGEST GROWTH

South Morang

51 000

5 700

12.6

Melbourne

29 300

5 400

22.7

Point Cook

40 500

3 200

8.7

Craigieburn - Mickleham

41 500

3 200

8.4

Epping

33 200

2 800

9.1

FASTEST GROWTH

Melbourne

29 300

5 400

22.7

Abbotsford

6 500

1 100

19.7

Cranbourne East

11 400

1 600

16.5

Docklands

7 400

990

15.3

Southbank

15 600

2 100

15.2

(a) All population figures presented in this table are rounded. Estimates of population change are based on unrounded numbers.

Population decline

In contrast to the stronger growth of inner suburbs and greenfield outer suburbs, some long-established areas declined in population in 2012-13. Around 12% of the SA2s in Greater Melbourne declined. Most of these were in middle and outer-ring suburbs. The largest declines were in Endeavour Hills (down by 210 people), Mill Park - North and Mill Park - South (both down by 190), and Frankston North and Rowville - Central (both down by 160). None of the SA2s in the Melbourne - Inner SA4 declined, reflecting higher-density development in areas close to the central business district.

Regional Victoria grew by 11,300 people (0.8%) in the 12 months to 2013, to reach 1.39 million. Regional Victoria's share of the state's population declined slightly over this period, reflecting the relatively stronger growth in Greater Melbourne.

Population growth

The areas within regional Victoria with the largest increases in 2012-13 were in and around the main regional cities and coastal towns.

Of the eight SA4s in regional Victoria, Geelong had the largest growth, up by 4,800 people, followed by Ballarat (2,100), Bendigo (2,000) and Latrobe - Gippsland (1,600).

The SA2 with the largest increase in regional Victoria was the coastal town of Torquay, which grew by 800 people, while the fastest-growing SA2 was Bannockburn (up by 7.6%) in Geelong. Alfredton in Ballarat had the second fastest growth, increasing by 5.4%, followed by Torquay and Leopold (both 4.9%) in Geelong.

Population decline

More than one-third of SA2s in regional Victoria declined in the year to 2013, with around one-third of these decreasing by 1.0% or more. Eight of the ten fastest-declining SA2s were in the two SA4s of North West, and Warrnambool and South West. The fastest declines were in Rushworth (down by 3.2%), West Wimmera (down by 2.3%), Buloke (down by 2.1%) and Glenelg (down by 2.0%).

The SA2 with the largest decline was Glenelg (down by 170 people) in the state's south-west.

At June 2013, the population density of Victoria was 25 people per square kilometre (sq km), the second highest of all states and territories, after the Australian Capital Territory (160 people per sq km). The population density of Greater Melbourne was 440 people per sq km.

Within Greater Melbourne, the SA2 with the highest population density was inner-city Melbourne, with 12,400 people per sq km. This was followed by Carlton (9,000 people per sq km) and Fitzroy (7,900), which surround the central business district. Melbourne SA2 also experienced the largest increase in density in 2012-13, up by 2,300 people per sq km. The next largest increases occurred in Southbank (up by 670 people per sq km) and Abbotsford (610).